Great British Bake Off winner opens up about being diagnosed with autism and bipolar disorder

Georgina Grasso, a former winner of The Great British Bake Off, has confirmed that she was misdiagnosed with ADHD and actually has bipolar 2 and autism.

The Carmarthenshire native, who became the first-ever Welsh champion of Bake Off in 2024, took to Instagram on Monday to reveal that she’d been experiencing a ‘depressive episode’ for the last couple of months.

“I keep saying to myself ‘I’ve got bipolar’ trying to figure out what that means. I know im still me. But everything I thought I knew about my mental health, isn’t what I thought it was,” she wrote.

“Ive had 4 severe hypotonic/ manic episodes over the last 8 years, the last one being last year, but you’d never have known. I never ever want one ever again.

“They are scary. What scares me most is I have no control over anything I’m doing and it’s tunnel vision.”

The baker continued, explaining that she has ‘loads’ to learn about her new diagnosis; she feels as if she is in ‘no position to be raising awareness about it’ until she learns more.

“So for now, this is just a - this is me! Hope you can all stick around for the ride, for the highs and lows!”

The former nurse, who is now a content creator, claimed her diagnosis came as a ‘shock’ and that her doctor initially mentioned she may not have ADHD last year after all.

“I thought there’s no way,” she shared, adding that she has since started new medication that will allow her to be ‘stable’ and ‘able to work and create with consistency’.

Although she did not state which medicines she’s been prescribed, Grasso lamented that they come with certain ‘side effects’ which worry her.

“I hope the benefits [will] outweigh them,” the mother of three said.

Fans have come out in droves to support the star, with influencer Ester Pawlak writing: “Sending you a big hug! You are amazing.”

“Sending love to you and your family! One of the hardest things with a new diagnosis is learning all the new things as you're in the thick of it!!,” said someone else.

A third commented: “Thank you for sharing. There are SO many in your same situation. You have an amazing creative loving brain. Thank you for sharing the good and the challenges.”

Prior to her bipolar and autism diagnoses, Grasso was an advocate for ADHD and spoke about her neurodivergence following her Bake Off win.

“It is still one of those topics that people don't know about. Especially with adult women because for a lot of us it goes undiagnosed for so long and it does completely take over your life,” she told BBC Radio 5 Live.

She continued: "For me, it just helped me to really focus, it got me a bit in the semi finals because I couldn't read the instructions.

"That's what I was struggling with and I thought I was done.

"But in the final... I had to make a plan and just stick to it, and that's why with the technical challenge and the showstopper I just flew through it,"

The Great British Bake Off is scheduled to return to Channel 4 in September, with Nigella Lawson stepping into Dame Prue Leith’s shoes.

Paul Hollywood, Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding are also scheduled to return.